Dog Park Location Set

August 28, 2014

WHEELING - Following a months-long search for a suitable location, Wheeling officials have agreed to use city property to build the city's first dog park.

The park will be built at the city's Tunnel Green Recreation Complex, on a two-acre site south of the existing baseball field, basketball court and roller hockey rink, according to Jeremy Morris, co-founder of the Wheeling Dog Park Association. Organizers are eyeing a completion date in the spring or summer of 2015, he said.

The announcement comes, rather appropriately, on the heels of National Dog Day, which was Tuesday.

Article Photos

Photo by Ian HicksThe wooded area in the background at the Tunnel Green Recreation Complex in East Wheeling will be the site for the city’s new dog park, organizers have announced.

The preferred location for the park had been a strip of land near the Interstate 470 J.B. Chambers Youth Sports Complex, but efforts to acquire the property proved unsuccessful.

"It has been a long process in locating a suitable site for the park, but we are thrilled with the location and the acreage available at Tunnel Green," Morris said.

The park will include two separate areas - one for dogs up to 30 pounds and another for larger dogs - as well as access to water, waste receptacles and seating. There will be vehicular access to the site from 18th Street, and easy access for pedestrians from Wheeling Heritage Trail.

The effort to build a dog park in Wheeling has been building momentum for more than a year, receiving its biggest boost last summer when Wheeling won $25,000 as a runner-up in PetSafe's "Bark for Your Park" online voting contest, which offers cities around the country the opportunity to win up to $100,000 each year to build their very own puppy playground.

Morris previously estimated the total cost to construct a dog park at about $50,000. He said a local engineer has offered to donate time to design the park, and a final cost has yet to be determined.

The Wheeling Dog Park Association has done some limited fundraising in addition to the $25,000 contest prize, and city officials appear serious about getting the project done.

"The city is excited about the future dog park, and we are committed to providing city resources to support the design, construction and maintenance of the park," said City Manager Robert Herron.